Salesian Bulletin - July 2022 by Salesian Bulletin India

JULY 2022 | Volume -64 Issue-07 | ` 25

Crises of Humankind and Religion of the Future

VATICAN NEWS Linda Bordoni

POPE'S DIALOGUE WITH THE BUDDHISTS

“Let’s work together to cultivate compassion and hospitality”

“A

t a time in which our human family and planet are facing manifold threats,” the need for interreligious dialogue and collaboration are increasingly necessary, said Pope Francis, inviting Buddhists to continue to work together with the Catholic Church “to cultivate compassion and hospitality for all human beings, especially the poor and marginalized.” The Pope was addressing a delegation from Thailand composed of thirty-three prominent Buddhist monks of both the Theravada

and Mahayana schools, together with 60 lay Buddhists and several representatives of the Thai Catholic Church. They are in Rome to participate in a conference entitled Friendship between Buddhists and Christians for a Culture of Encounter, at the Pontifical Urban University. Golden Jubilee Thanking them for visiting the Vatican on the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting between Pope Saint Paul VI and the Most Venerable SomdejPhraWannarat, the 17th Supreme Buddhist Patriarch of Thailand, on 5 June 1972, the Pope expressed his wish to renew the bonds of friendship and mutual collaboration. He also renewed the sentiments expressed by Pope Paul VI when he met the Thai delegation 50 years ago, saying: “We have a profound regard for the spiritual, moral, and socio-cultural treasures that have been bestowed on you through your precious traditions.”

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“We recognize the values of which you are the custodians, and we share the desire that they should be preserved and fostered. We hope there will be increasing friendly dialogue and close collaboration between the traditions that you represent and the Catholic Church.” A consolidated path of dialogue and collaboration Pope Francis noted that the past 50 years have seen a gradual and steady growth of “friendly dialogue and close collaboration” between the two religious traditions. He recalled past visits and his Apostolic Journey to Thailand in 2019 “and the wonderful welcome and hospitality I received.” The Holy Father also expressed appreciation for the friendly and fraternal dialogue with the members of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, as well as with the Catholic community in Thailand. The Buddha and Jesus understood the need for fraternity. Dialogue and collaboration are even more urgent and precious at a time when the human family and the planet face manifold threats, the Pope noted. “Sadly, on all sides we hear the cry of a wounded humanity and a broken earth.” “The Buddha and Jesus understood the need to overcome the egoism that gives rise to conflict and violence,” he said. “The Dhammapada sums up the Buddha’s teachings thus: ‘To avoid evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one’s mind – this is the teaching of the Buddha’ (Dph 183). Jesus told his disciples: ‘I give you a new Commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another’” (Jn 13:34). Pope Francis told his guests that their common task today is “to guide our respective followers to a more vivid sense of the truth that we are all brothers and sisters.” “We should work together to cultivate compassion and hospitality for all human beings, especially the poor and marginalized.” In this spirit, the Pope concluded, “I encourage your efforts to deepen and broaden your dialogue and cooperation with the Catholic Church.”

July 2022

JULY 2022 | Volume -64 Issue-07 | ` 25

Editor Fr. Amirtharaj Arockiyam SDB

CONTENTS JULY 2022

Associate Editor Jeyarani News Editors Fr. Dominic Matthews SDB Fr. P. T. Joseph SDB Office Assistant Josephine Nathan Circulation Arokia Selvi

''MY NAME IS SEAN CAYD''. The Story of an Unimaginable Gift

Designer M Creative Editorial Board Fr. K. M. Jose SDB - Chairman, BOSCOM Fr. Don Bosco Lourdusamy SDB Fr. Nallayan Pancras SDB Fr. Ernest Rosario SDB Fr. Raj Kumar Fernando SDB Sathish Kumar Thiyagarajan Advisory Board Fr. Biju Michael Pulianmackal SDB - President, SPCSA Fr. K. M. Jose - President, Salesian Publishing Society Fr. Edwin Vasanth SDB - Financial Advisor Fr. Felix Fernandes SDB Fr. Januarius Sangma SDB Fr. Paul Olphindro Lyngkot SDB Fr Jose Kuruvachira SDB Fr. Savio Silveira SDB Fr. Agilan Sarprasadam SDB Fr. Joseph Pauria SDB Fr. Davis Maniparamben SDB Fr Jose Koyickal SDB Fr. Roshan Miranda K Fr. Santiago Thomas SDB

FAMILY SPIRIT

EQUITABLE ACTIONS TO END POVERTY & INJUSTICE

sextortion Internet Safe Education editor.sb@boscom.org

Printed and Published by A. Amirtharaj, on behalf of Salesian Publishing Society, No. 45, Landons Road, Kilpauk, Chennai-600 010. Printed at Salesian Institute of Graphic Arts (SIGA), No. 49, Taylors Road, Kilpauk, Chennai - 600 010. Editor: A. Amirtharaj.

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EDITORIAL 4

`It’s a Wonderful Life'

nce an elderly pastor went to his doctor. As he was feeling very weak, the doctor said, "I can tell you definitely this much... You will have to cut your pastoral ministry to half." The pastor said," That is okay, doctor. But tell me which half? Talking about it or thinking about it?" Becoming happier and healthier would require that we do less of idle day dreaming or talking and get involved whole heartedly in our day-to-day tasks. That would enable us to discover how fulfilling each day could be. Inspite of the various hardships and challenges that we might have to face along the way, our busy life, provided it is also lived in the spirit of love and service, thus remains a value based one, is a sure way to immeasurable fulfilment and personal growth. Indeed many people lead a busy life, rushing through their days with no time to pay attention even to their basic health and wellbeing, much less to the core values that directly or indirectly animate their thoughts and deeds. After an exhausting day, they come home. They are too tired to consider the underlying significance of their existence. To seek relief, they watch TV, do online shopping, catch-up with the messages that await them on their smartphones, or just socialize. While in and of themselves, these activities are harmless, they should not stand in the way of voluntarily initiating a gradual process of inner awakening that could be described as a sort of personal mindfulness. It is possible for anyone, when he/she begins to live with an almost uninterrupted inner focus, rather than letting life slip and slide along patterns of daily routines and habits, to start a great life that is truly meaningful. We ourselves might get miraculously transformed into selfless agents of extraordinary joy, enthusiasm, love and service at home as well as in our surroundings. We would begin to cherish each moment. We would be active participants in this new life constantly unfolding before us. We would realise we are being presented plenty of pleasant opportunities to flourish, find purpose and bliss; experience peace and contentment most of the time. Once there was a young Rabbi, much appreciated for his dedication, vast knowledge of Torah and simple lifestyle. As it was a rural setting, all were familiar with each other's daily preoccupations and routines. However many of them thought there was something mysterious about the way the Rabbi went about on

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every other Sabbath day. For over a year now, he had been seen leaving the house early, only to return rather late in the evening. They could not help wondering what he was up to on those days. Some thought he was trekking into the forest to be all alone and pray. Some said he might have found a popular pilgrim place somewhere we he can remain anonymous and spend him time in prayer undisturbed. Finally the whole community commissioned two of its smart members to secretly follow him, observe his movements closely on the next Sabbath days and report back. Anyhow they felt already convinced that their good Rabbi may have found a very secret way of getting directly connected to God, though was not yet ready to share it with the congregation. On that day too, he left his house early. Instead of walking in the direction of the nearby forest he was seen reaching the bus stop and boarding a crowded bus. Without his knowledge, they were able to follow him till the end. He reached a home for the aged in the next town and attended to the needs of a very old woman all day-long. From all her activities of the day and her very appearance including the Rosary beads in her hand, it was noticeable that she was a pagan woman. Certainly, she was not seen to observing any of the Sabbath practices at all. Nor was she seemed to be aware that her Good Samaritanlike assistant for the day is actually a very busy man with a flock of his own, a scholar, on top of it, a Rabbi. He fed her, bathed her, read aloud some stories from her scriptures, took her by hand to the nearby supermarket, bought her, following her detailed instructions, all that she needed for the next two weeks and then safely brought her back to room. By evening having completed his voluntary community service, he happily returned home. Later, on that night itself, many eagerly called those two ‘spies’, asking 'Was he really praying? How special was his way of praying? Was he seen reaching heaven?' On their part, with lot of astonishment still lingering in their voices, they kept repeating: "Yes, .. Yes... he was truly praying all the time.” “Reaching heaven?” “Yes. Actually he went beyond all the heavens!" Just as the Rabbi was doing so humbly and serenely, we too could lead a simple life of selfless service, reaching out to the poor and the needy and thus gladly move towards a deeper fulfilment and wholeness that is a little beyond even the good heavens that we have heard of!

Fr. Amirtharaj Arockiyam SDB., Editor. July 2022

A POEM A MONTH Portia Nelson

 I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost … I am hopeless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.

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 I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I'm in the same place. But it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.  I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in … it’s a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.  I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.  I walk down another street. REFLECTION

In this poem Portia Nelson beautifully indicates how most people live their life on autopilot. They mindlessly keep repeating the same behaviour, expecting to get somehow a different result. They seem to condemn themselves to a life of suffering and stagnation until, as if by grace, suddenly they too wake up someday like the prodigal son and finally come to their senses. Mindful presence alone enhances life! July 2022

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ear Readers, friends and most especially friends of Don Bosco's charism, I send you my affectionate greeting. They always come with gratitude for the sympathy you have towards Don Bosco, the saint of the world's youth, and the closeness, respect, or curiosity you feel towards those of us who try to continue his mission in the Church and the world. With all my heart, I thank you! Today I am writing to share with you something I experienced just a short while ago when I was visiting the Salesian presences in Zimbabwe. More precisely, I was in a small town called Hwange. There I met with my Salesian confreres, other members of the Salesian Family, the educators from that place, and a group of about 200 young people both from there and from far away. Malawi and Namibia, being there with great sacrifice and generosity.

The Story of an Unimaginable Gift 6

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The three days in Hwange were full of life, joy, encounters, and greetings. From the first moment, more than 50 boys and girls from the closest houses joined the gathering. In fact, they spent the day there among us, and, to a great extent, amazed by everything they saw and heard—the songs, the dances, and the joy. It can be said that one of the greatest riches of Africa are its children. They are all over and always happy and smiling (I would almost say unaware of the poverty in which they live). July 2022

Now I would like to tell you about Sean. Among all the children, this one boy was almost always present there, together with his friends. He is about twelve years old. There he was, about a yard away from everything that was happening, not keeping his distance and unafraid. He was watching everything that was happening because it was all new for him. Naturally, I greeted them many times: in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night when they went home; and we spoke about things together.

There are so many questions. Certainly, everything that happened has made me think much and deeply. It called to mind that scene in the Gospel in which the Lord Jesus praises the poor old woman because she had put but a few coins in the basket of the Temple of Jerusalem, the place to make donations. But it was all she had. Since I am a Salesian, an educator, Sean made me think very seriously about the educational action that takes place each day, by every Salesian, and in each Salesian house. The same can be said of every gesture, every word, every caress that happens in homes and families.

When the time came for me to leave to head to the In fact, the moral of the story, the one that I try to next stop, several hours’ journey by truck, there was that apply to myself, is that we can never guess to what extent young lad. Just as I was getting into the truck, he came a word, a smile, a greeting, or even a look can reach forward and stood very close to me, extending his right inside the heart of a boy, a girl, an adolescent or a young hand, fist closed. I understood that he wanted to give person, and what it can mean in their lives. What seems me something in my hand. Certainly, I did not have any like nothing to the one who gives can be everything to idea what it was. Perhaps it was a request? Maybe he the one who receives. was letting me know he needed something? The fact is Don Bosco’s life is full of significant encounters, of I extended the palm of my hand and received what he gave me. I soon understood that he was offering me a gift—his gift. I looked at The gift was simply a small stone, one of the what he handed me, closed my hand, thousands that were around on the ground, but one thanked him with words and a huge smile, and put it into my pocket. To he had chosen to give to me. He gave me everything end our farewell, he visibly handed me he could. a piece of writing paper. You may wonder what this was all about—what was the gift and what was on the piece of paper. Let me share that with you right now. This boy—as I understand it—felt the need to thank me for having been there, perhaps for having greeted him, or being close to him and his friends, so he gave me what he could. The gift was simply a small stone, one of the thousands that were around on the ground, but one he had chosen to give to me. He gave me everything he could. That's how I received it. I have it with me now and with me it will remain. On the little piece of paper was written: “Pray fou (sic) you. My name is Sean Cayd.” Certainly, Sean offered me his prayer and remembrance. How could my heart not have been touched by that experience? How could I forget that face and those eyes full of life? How could I not ask myself what must have gone through that boy’s heart and mind for him to feel that he had to give something to me—a man from a foreign land who had come from afar to visit them? July 2022

words whispered in the ear, of glances that pierced the heart and soul—like the young Paolo Albera, who would become Don Bosco's second successor, or Luigi Variara, who promised, as a ten-year-old boy, in that exchange of glances, that he would never be separated from Don Bosco again. He did become a Salesian, a missionary, and the founder of a Congregation of great charity in the care of lepers. Today he is a Blessed. It seems to me that these are some of the "miracles" that I often say are experienced daily in Salesian houses around the world. The truth is that my friend Sean touched my heart and taught me a great lesson. I pray the Good Lord bless him. I wish you all the best, dear friends. Let us continue to trust that much good is also being done in the world. Thank you for walking this path together with me and for sharing these ideals. Cordially, Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, SDB The Salesian Bulletin

COVER STORY Prof. Felix Wilfred

n his widely acclaimed books 'Sapiens' and 'Homo Deus', as a historian, Harari invites us to consider humankind from the larger perspective of the universe whose origins go back to over thirteen billion years, and appearance of life to four billion years. Considered against this immensely large span of time and birth of life, human beings are latecomers in the universe and have a relatively short history. During this period, which scientists call 'Anthropocene' (the age of humans) and which extends just about 70,000 years, humankind has developed from the ape and dominated the earth and exacted a heavy toll on its flora and fauna. In the words of Harari, "an insignificant ape became the ruler of the planet earth" .

Crises of Humankind and Religion of the Future

The destruction on the biosphere humankind has caused has now come to threaten its own existence and the possibility of its survival for long. Added to it are some of the technologies—biotechnology, artificial intelligence and so on—that are turning into Frankenstein monsters. Today, the crisis is such that we cannot take for granted the survival and future of us as human species. In fact, the history of the earth shows that numerous species that inhabited the earth once are no more present now. Are we going to be one such species hurtling towards extinction? The crisis humankind faces today has multiple and interlocking aspects and dimensions. The source of destruction is not only from without but also within the humankind. In nature, human beings are aggressive and fight with each other like wolves: homo homini lupus (Thomas Hobbes). Killing each other could have caused the extinction of humanity. But then, humankind found a way of survival by organizing themselves into a society with rights and duties. 'Social Contract' became the foundation for society. 'Social Contract' relations are governed and common goals are achieved—thanks to this hypothetical contract. There are, however, limits to this arrangement which we have come to realize today more than ever before. How does social contract work with the threat of nuclear war? Unlike in other conventional wars where precious human lives are lost, in a nuclear war, the entire humankind is in danger of being obliterated from the earth with no traces whatsoever that it ever existed. Furthermore, some of the technologies being developed today can overtake humankind and become the killer of its own creator. Such critical predicaments go beyond the parameters of societal life shaped by contract. If we are to come to terms with these scenarios of human extinction, already now appropriate measures and

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steps are to be taken. To start with, the foundation of the social contract on which human and inter-societal and international relations are based is so tenuous that it is not able to hold any longer the increasing pressure of societal and inter-human problems and conflicts. Moreover, the social contract—the cornerstone of liberal philosophy—is very individualistic and it does not seem to give due importance to the community. In a true community, people July 2022

are bound together not simply because of any contract, but because of other values like love, the search for the common good, altruism, the spirit of cooperation, and so on. Our experience of daily life tells us that not all human relations could be brought under contract. An obvious example is the institution of the family which is hard to imagine to function on the basis of contractual relations. In this context, I would like start speaking about the future of religion rather of the religion of the future. To speak about the future of religion will subscribe to the idea that religion is threatened today, and hence there is need to engage in defending it and working for its survival. The religion of the future, on the other hand, will be one that will be concerned about the future of humanity. religion will understand its beliefs, organization, values, practices, and worship as oriented towards this goal. As such, it will never worry about its own survival because it is bound up with the destiny of humanity which it accompanies. Moreover, the religion of the future—unlike its present expressions which give identity to groups creating false 'We' and 'they' and provide symbols and rituals for preserving this identity—will be a religion of humankind across nations, peoples, races, and regions.

that goes beyond the division of nations. It was a vision like that of the astronauts who from the space are able to see just one earth, and not able to identify the borders of nations which are zealously but senselessly guarded at the cost of a lot of human lives. The other thinker was Rabindranath Tagore who was very universalistic in his outlook. Even before world war 1 broke out, in his lectures delivered in the USA and Japan, he alerted people about the danger of nationalism and stated that the human is above the nation. With reference to India, he said:

One may wonder whether we are binding the religion of the future only to the destiny of humanity. No, religion will have also a larger perspective of the earth and of the universe. After all humankind may not be severed from the survival and flourishing of nature. Both are indissolubly bound together. Ignoring this led to environmental crises and global warming. Hence the religion of the future will be one that will be concerned about nature and the environment. Hitherto, religions have served as bricks and mortar to build up identities, and hence religions became a source of conflicts. Warmed-up versions of nationalism, on their part, invoke religion and religious symbols—as for example Hindutva—for The religion political ends and for creating a social and political of the future will India has never had a real sense of order that excludes people and communities. We remind humankind nationalism. Even though from childhood I had know from history that the ideology of nationalism, of values that go been taught that idolatry of the Nation is almost very much like that of religion, puts nations one beyond commodity better than reverence for God and humanity, against the other and kills millions as happened and market I believe I have outgrown that teaching, and for example in the two World Wars, and today in relations and point it is my conviction that my countrymen will innumerable warfare waged by sub-nationalities to another world of truly gain their India by fighting against the against centralizing and oppressive state-power. love, compassion, education which teaches them that a country is Think of what happened to the Tamils in Sri solidarity and greater than the ideals of humanity. Lanka. State-violence gets legitimized by invoking cooperation. the ideology of nationalism. Warmongering and If Kant maintained that "all politics must bend feigned national security take precedence over the its knees before right [morality]", Tagore taught real issues of the people and their security vis-åus that the human comes above the nation—both vis fundamental needs of life. are such fundamental lessons for us today. What they said is equally applicable to religion. The perils inherent in the ideology of nationalism was sensed with a lot of prescience by two great thinkers. If religion, like nationalism—both often intertwined—is One was Immanuel Kant, who in his work 'Perpetual to be tamed and cured from its instinct to violence, it needs Peace', proposed an arrangement for the life of humanity July 2022

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often happens. Focused on serving humanity and sustaining nature, religions will welcome everyone to partake of their riches which belong to the entire humankind. Everyone should be able to feel at home in the religious universe of the other, in its beliefs, rituals, worship and so on. Viewed in this way, the religion of the future will accompany humankind in its journey and will not be a burden weighing on its growth and flourishing. All the religions will share in this one mission: service to humanity and sustainment of nature. The mission which each religion Formulates for itself cannot override or go contrary to the common primary mission towards humankind and nature which all the religions of the future will share. In this sense, all religions will be at one, united, and will pursue the same mission of salvation. Salvation means wholeness or well-being (from the Latin salus). I am not advocating one single universal or planetary religion. This will be only as successful as Esperanto—an experiment in a common language for humankind created artificially. I think such ideal would do away with all the richness and plurality of the beautiful rainbow religions make up. Humanity will be poorer with one single universal religion which cannot but also appear utopian. What we to shed a lot of deadwood that it has accumulated in need is that every existing religion re-images and the name of tradition. The deadwood is so thick endows itself with the spirit of universality and and it has covered religion in such a way that open-endedness in such a way that everyone it is benumbed and no more able to sense could feel at home and benefit from its riches. the burning issues of humanity but remains The mission which "This vision of the future shape of religion calls narcissistic, concerned all the time about tself. each religion for deploying the necessary means and measures Like the instinct for violence, religions have formulates for itself now for the lofty goal it points to. One of the an innate proclivity taboos. Taboos of beliefs cannot override or requirements is that along with interreligious and rituals are things that defy reason. They go contrary to the dialogue, we cultivate also the spirit of religious are believed and performed with a magical common primary cosmopolitanism at all levels, especially in the consciousness. mission towards field of education. humankind and The religion of the future will critically The religion of the future will seek to nature which all interrogate its own beliefs, rituals, and practices contribute to a radical transformation in the way the religions of the on what they could really signify today for the future will share. human beings go about with nature and organize wellbeing of humankind and of nature. I am not themselves. From the larger perspective of the advocating abolition of all existing religions, universe, human beings are today reduced to rather suggesting that they should die to many consuming animals which rely on money and market things to be able to rise up as religions of the for anything to happen. That will be the end of the future with a different focus and orientation. Symbols, worship and rituals of a religion will road. A radical turn is required before reaching that point. not serve only its adherents and follower; but In reality, not all human problems can be solved by will be open-ended to the larger goal of the well-being money, nor can money buy everything. It is an experience of the entire humanity. of daily life which humanity tends to forget. The religion of In other words, what I am advocating is that every the future will remind humankind of values that go beyond religion becomes cosmopolitan in its vision, spirit, in its commodity and market relations and point to another beliefs, rituals, worship and so on. In fact, all religions world of love, comassion, solidarity and cooperation. belong to humankind and no religion is the exclusive Forgetfulness of humans beings about the essentials will possession of its group of adherents. If the challenge of require a perpetual reminder in the form of religion which the religion of the future is to serve humankind then it will point to the best that is forgotten and hidden. Could makes no sense that religions fight among themselves or our present religions re-imagine their roles for the future? try to support powers and systems one's own advantage, as

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July 2022

SALESIAN SPIRIT Fr. Pathiaraj Rayappan SDB

FAMILY SPIR IT

nother characteristic feature of the Salesian spirit is family fortitude, i.e., the Salesians wherever they are, in all their relationships, not only in their communities but also in their Educative Pastoral Communities, spontaneously tend to establish a kind of ‘family’, a family-like way of living and working together. Don Bosco wanted this to be a special feature of the Salesians. DESIRE OF DON BOSCO Don Bosco desired that all his institutions and communities be like large families. His ideal was to create a family atmosphere in all houses. The biographer Fr. Eugene Ceria says, “A family atmosphere had always been Don Bosco’s ideal. Children talk frankly to their father within the family circle, and the father does not take offence when they do, but rather is pleased and encourages such confidence. That was why his sons trusted him and very frankly and unhesitatingly asked for his advice on any subject.” Another biographer Fr. Angelo Amadei says that the confidential souvenirs sent to all Salesian Directors in 1871 and in later years had this

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purpose: “that the same warm, sacred family life of the Oratory be lived in all other houses.” Don Bosco considered family spirit a very important heritage that he was leaving his spiritual children. The Oratory of Valdocco was the model of family spirit, which Don Bosco wanted to replicate in all the Salesian houses. Biographical Memoirs describe the family spirit of the Oratory in several places: “this was not just a boarding school but truly a family cared for by a tender, loving father whose only concern was our spiritual and material well-being.” “Don Bosco ran the Oratory as a large family and the boys really felt as if they had never left their homes.” “Peaceful joy unmarred by worry ruled the Oratory, and family spirit brightened its life.

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The boys were given all the freedom compatible with discipline and good conduct.”

and often confided their innermost secrets to them while strolling along the porticoes during recreation.”

Dominic Ruffino was a cleric doing first year of philosophy in Chieri seminary [1857]. He wrote to Don Bosco for his advice on some matters, including finance. Don Bosco invited him to stay at the oratory for vacation. He came to the Oratory. After a few days of stay at the Oratory, he wrote thus to his friend: “I am writing to let you know that I am spending my vacation with Don Bosco in Turin in order to enjoy greater peace and quiet and to study French. I can truthfully say that I feel I'm in an earthly paradise. Here all love one another as brothers and everyone is happy, but with a truly heavenly happiness, especially when Don Bosco is with us. Then hours seem minutes as he charms us all by his words.”

Hence, the family spirit makes the Salesian house a fertile place of formation for life. The boys have no fear or inhibition. They drink in all that the educators say and live by. They grow happily as if in a family.

Don Bosco was happy about the family spirit that reigned in the Oratory and the other Salesian houses. He spoke thus to Fr. Barberis on the train journey from Villa Franca to Turin: "Presently our boys are just like sons, true members of our family. They feel that they belong to our Congregation. They talk about 'our church and our schools at Lanzo, Alassio and Nice.' Anything concerning the Salesians they call 'ours.'" And in 1886 there was the fourth general chapter. The chapter members were gathered for the retreat at San Benigno Canavese along with some non-chapter members. When Don Bosco saw the superiors and subjects all mingled together and gathered around him to listen to him during some of the recreations, he remarked contentedly, "In this I recognize all of you as my sons. Always be like this, without striving for preference. I see here the directors, the preachers of the retreat, the members of the Superior Chapter, all united as one single family.” THE NEED FOR FAMILY SPIRIT The dream which Don Bosco narrated in his letter from Rome is about creating a family like climate in our houses. The letter also describes the reasons why we need to create such a family atmosphere: “familiarity breeds affection, and affection breeds confidence. This is what opens up their hearts and the boys reveal everything to their teachers, assistants and superiors. They are frank in their confession and outside of it, and docile and obedient to anything they are told to do by someone they know is honestly fond of them.” And further on we read in reference to the changed situation: "And this does happen if familiarity is missing. If the Oratory is to return to its former happiness, the former system must come back. The superior should be always ready to listen to any doubts or complaints with all eyes to supervise their behaviour and all heart to look for the temporal and spiritual good of those entrusted to him by Divine Providence. Then the boys will no longer barricade their hearts.” His biographer Fr. Lemoyne said of Don Bosco: “His example and method of education closely endeared superiors to boys. When any superior, even a young cleric, walked into the playground, he would be quickly surrounded by a cluster of small friends. Many boys unabashedly told their faults to their superiors

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ELEMENTS OF THE FAMILY SPIRIT (i) Mutual affection, mutual trust (confidence) and daily forgiveness (ii) Feeling at home and responsible for the common good (iii) Sharing everything: The goods a member possesses are made available to the others, in this way one enriches others and is enriched by others. Our Project of Life says that “the most important exchange is not of material good but of life itself and of good things more deeply personal (like thoughts and feelings; plans and interests, joys and sorrows). This is the meaning of opening the heart that Don Bosco used to speak of.” (iv) Personal relationships (brotherly, cordial): The relationship between the members of the community as well as between Salesians and youngsters should be ‘personal’ and not merely correct, bureaucratic and formal, i.e., relationships should not be governed by recourse to rules but by faith and promptings of the heart. The letter from Rome talked about cordiality in relationship between Salesians and youngsters as the difference between the Oratory of the earlier days and later days. In the earlier days “greatest cordiality and confidence reigned between youngsters and superiors.” In the later days cordiality was missing and many boys thought of their superiors “precisely as superiors and no longer as fathers, brothers and friends.” (v) Freedom and Joy: The climate of freedom and joy is a

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sure sign of family spirit. Without constraint or fear, each one should be able to say what he thinks, make his own generous contribution and make his suggestions. Don Bosco used to say: “God does not like things done by force. As a loving God, he wants things done for loves’ sake.” The following incident reveals the family spirit that united Don Bosco to his sons! On January 14, 1880 Don Bosco was in the Salesian house at Marseilles. In the evening Don Bosco, accompanied by Fr. Ronchail was leaving the house to call on a Count. Fr. Cagliero was just coming into the house from the station. Visibility was poor. But Fr. Ronchail recognized Fr. Cagliero, and greeted him in French, to which he too replied in French. At this Don Bosco asked Fr. Ronchail who the priest was. Fr. Ronchail thought that Don Bosco was joking and so went on to say that he was a good friend of the Salesians and that he visited them from time to time. Then Don Bosco said in French, that they would meet later. Then they parted. A little later Don Bosco asked Fr. Ronchail who the priest was. When he was told that it was Fr. Cagliero, Don Bosco said, “What Fr. Cagliero! I did not even recognize his voice!” And they had a hearty laugh!Their laughter continued when they returned home because Fr. Cagliero kept up his game!

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Faithfully attend to duties

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Monthly manifestation is important

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Not leaving house without Rector’s permission

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Keep full confidentiality with any boy who has reported a grave transgression

FAMILY SPIRIT AND VOCATIONS

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Love confreres’ good name

Family atmosphere attracts youngsters to follow the Salesian way of life. It is amply demonstrated in the case of the first Salesians. A great majority of Salesian novices came from the Oratory. Two thirds of the senior students entered the Novitiate! And in the major seminary of Turin in 1865, 38 out of the 46 clerics were former pupils of the Oratory; in 1873 this was true of 120 out of 150! In 1883, Don Bosco affirmed: “I'm happy now! I have had careful statistics drawn up, and we have found that more than two thousand diocesan priests have come from our schools.” Then there were others who had joined religious Orders! This proves beyond doubt that there is a correlation between family spirit and vocation: family spirit gives rise to vocations.

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Do not look for preferences

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Self-sacrifice especially on the part of the superior

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No constraint: freedom to express one's view & suggestions

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Rules based on common sense

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Directors should never punish or reprimand or threaten the boys

THE PRACTISE OF FAMILY SPIRIT Don Bosco gives the following suggestions to foster family spirit. 

Respect superiors in the manner of greeting them and trust

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Take no offence at trivial things

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Keep calm, bid time and investigate before giving importance to faults

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No words of contempt; no disapproval of any other confrere

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Cover each other’s shortcomings and defend one another

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Do not criticise food or superiors’ directives

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A mention should be made about the Rector being the ordinary confessor in their houses. In Don Bosco’s system, it had a lot to contribute to the family spirit. See what Fr. Angelo Amadei, the biographer, says, “We must bear in mind, though, that their purpose was to make of all the Salesian schools so many families in which the director was to be ‘a father who could not but love and sympathise with his sons’ who would in turn be as so many brothers, forming one heart and soul with their director. After the Holy See's decree of 1901, this family spirit, so cherished by Don Bosco, has unfortunately weakened here and there.” Hence, we need to strengthen the practice of monthly manifestations at least. CONCLUSION Family spirit is the climate of freedom compatible with discipline; feeling of belongingness; treating everyone as brothers; looking upon the superior as a father; cordial relationships; sharing thought & feelings, joys & sorrows. We have a rich tradition. We need to preserve such a rich heritage.

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NEW HORIZONS - 1 Fr. John Alexander SDB

HUMILIATIONS AND HUMILITY:

Don Bosco and Mahatma Gandhi Lead by Example

ope Francis is inspiring millions with his words and actions. His reflection that we learn true humility through humiliations is something we must ponder. In the Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), he wrote: “Humility can only take root in the heart through humiliations. Without them, there is no humility or holiness. If you are unable to suffer and offer up a few humiliations, you are not humble and you are not on the path to holiness.” Normally, we react with bitterness and anger when someone insults us. But Pope Francis says that humiliating experiences are “an unavoidable aspect of the imitation of Christ” and make us “resemble Christ”. What were your humiliating moments? Were you able to face them in the way Christ did?

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July 2022

Biographers record that St John Bosco was choleric by temperament. It took him years to work on his emotions to face difficult people and situations with the heart of Christ. Eugenio Ceria, in his book, Don Bosco with God, has recorded this significant event. Professor Abbot Amadeus Peyron from Regia University in Turin was once presiding over a meeting of priests. The discussion was on the need for good educational publications suitable for the ordinary people. Don Bosco enthusiastically proposed that his own publication Letture Cattoliche (Catholic letters) would fulfill this need. It looked as if professor Abbot was waiting for his opportunity to insult. To the embarrassment of the entire audience, he launched a scathing attack on Don Bosco in public, criticizing his work as below standard. Among that audience was Don Bosco’s friend, St Leonard Murialdo. He was feeling miserable at the awkwardness caused to his friend. He waited anxiously to see how Don Bosco would react. When Abbot had finished, Don Bosco said politely: “I am here precisely to receive help and advice. Please tell me what you think needs to be corrected and I will gladly correct it.” Recalling that humiliating episode later, Murialdo said that he was convinced from that time that Don Bosco was indeed a saint. Liberating Power Pride keeps us away from God and our fellow humans. Humility gives us a sense of bearing that we are not God, but are instruments of God. All that we have and enjoy are blessings, and we should be generous to share God’s blessings with others. If for some reason, our surroundings turn negative and others return our goodness with meanness and bad behaviour, we can either react with bitterness and revenge, or transform that experience into an experience of maturity and holiness. The choice is ours. On 7 th June 1893, Mahatma Gandhi was humiliated and thrown off the train’s first class “whites-only” compartment at Pietermaritzburg station in Durban, South Africa even though he had a valid first-class ticket. He had stayed at the station that night shivering in the cold. And yet that bitter experience had played a major role in Gandhi’s decision to stay on in South Africa and fight the racial discrimination being faced by Indians. Gandhi transcended the wounds of discrimination with the July 2022

higher spiritual force and political tools of “Satyagraha” (truth-force) and “Ahimsa” (non-violence). Jesus shows us the ultimate example of humility. Although He is eternally with the Father, He chose to stretch his arms on the cross in love so that through His death He might embrace in love anyone who receive Him. St Paul invites us to imbibe this Christ-like humility in our dealing with our neighbours. He wrote, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness” (Phil 2:5–7). Paul was fully aware that turning our humiliations into acts of humility and love is difficult. It is a divine act of grace. That is why he encouraged the believers to look up to Jesus on the cross for courage and strength. Selfishness and pride can divide people, but the virtue of humility has the miraculous power of uniting people. Quarrels and disagreements are bound to occur in our families, religious communities and churches, but we can amicably solve them by giving up our right to be right and by giving importance to others placing them high above our ourselves.

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PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT Aloysius Joseph PhD

t is not easy to change behaviours, even behaviours that hurt us and others. Whether it is behaviours such as addiction to drugs/alcohol, smoking, gambling, or even behaviors that may benefit us, such as losing weight, there is no quick and easy way to change those behaviours, especially the ones that turn habitual and/or addictive. Nor is there a single solution that works for all. Most of us are good at setting goals to change our behaviors or attain new behaviours but not so good at accomplishing them.

Tools to Overcome Barriers to Behaviour Changes

The question then to ask is, what are the barriers to making changes to our behaviours? Researchers and practitioners of behaviour change have identified two important factors to consider: motivation & method, the why and the how. Evidence-based practices show that when there is a deficit in one or both, making a change in one’s behaviour is virtually impossible. When we contemplate behaviour change, the factors to consider are why do I want to change and how am I going to accomplish this change. Based on the above factors, we could say that the algorithm for behaviour change could be formulated as, behaviour change = motivation (reasons) to change + method (skills) to change. From an algorithmic point of view, changing a behaviour appears easy, almost as easy as 2+2=4. While it sounds easy, in practice behaviour change has proven to be difficult. Despite being difficult, behaviour change is doable if we address the deficits in the variables of the equation. Both variables of the equation are equally important. Sometimes the barrier to change is lacking reasons to change and sometimes the barrier to change is lacking the method to make a change and sometimes it is both. For example, if the change I want to make is to lose body weight, say 20 pounds in the span of 6 months (assuming that it is a reasonable goal), based on the algorithm, I would need reasons and methods to accomplish this. Based on the above algorithm, reasons to lose my body weight alone are not enough to accomplish behavior change. For instance, I may have all the reasons in the world to shed a few pounds, but if I do not possess skills (the know-how) on how to lose weight, then I will not be able to accomplish my goal of losing weight. And vice versa. I may have sophisticated technology (method/skills/ know-how) to lose weight, but if I lack reasons (motivation) to lose weight, then I will not be able to accomplish my goal of losing weight. Reasons to change Reasons may comprise of small and big ones, extrinsic or intrinsic ones. For example, a small reason to lose weight maybe wanting to fit into my pants. A big reason to lose weight could be to maintain good health. An extrinsic reason could be my doctor being on my case about losing a few pounds. Extrinsic reasons are reasons that motivate me from the outside and you do something in order to gain an external reward. An intrinsic reason is what aligns with your personal values, and you enjoy doing it. An example of an intrinsic reason could be that I value my health and want to live long enough to be around to witness my son/daughter getting married. Motivation or reasons to change a behaviour is not a static trait but a dynamic one. In other words, our reasons to change a behaviour may evolve due to several factors, factors that relate to a person’s life as well as the context of one’s life.

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July 2022

For example, the reason to lose weight may lose its priority and importance as new challenges and priorities emerge in one person’s life. For instance, while a person may be highly motivated to lose weight, experiencing a traumatic and tragic event, such as the loss of a close family member may suspend (or dampen) one’s motivation to lose weight. Since motivation is a dynamic trait, it requires different strategies to keep the fire of motivation kindled. Stages model of behavior changes: Another important point to consider when considering motivation is that it is not linear or progressive but takes place often continuously and cyclically. That is, I’m motivated to change a behavior, I make changes, then I lose motivation, then I relapse (go back to my old behavior), I pick myself back up and then start all over again. This is evidenced specifically, with behaviours that are addictive and habit forming. `Two psychologists, Carlo DiClemente and James Prochaska in the early 1980’s developed a model of change called the Transtheroretical Model of Stages of Change to offer us the idea that change is continuous and cyclical, a process, not an event or linear. Their model proposes a five-stage model of changing behaviors based on one’s motivation: (1) Pre-contemplation stage: Individuals in this stage are unaware or have limited awareness that they have a problem behaviour or there is a need to change. They lack insight into the consequences of their behaviour. (2) Contemplation stage: Individuals in this stage are aware that they have a problem. However, they will not acton changing or doing anything about it, as they tend to sit on the fence. They sit on the fence because they are not sure whether the problem behaviour is worthy of correcting. (3) Preparation stage: Individuals in this stage are July 2022

aware that they have abehaviour that needs to be changed and are making a commitment to change. For example, a person in this stage may say, “I know that I’m overweight and it is not good. I’ve been researching several ways to eat right, and even though I haven’t reached my ideal weight, I’m more mindful of what I eat.” (4) Action stage: Individuals in this stage are already beginning to do something about their behaviour. For example, “I’ve started a nutrition plan even though it is not easy for me. And I haven’t returned to my old habits of eating for at least four months now.”The person has taken action and is gaining confidence that they can change their behaviour. 5) Maintenance stage: This stage is a continuation of the previous stage. In other words, the actions started towards making the change (in the Action stage) is maintained for more than six months. They may have thoughts of relapsing into the old behaviour but are able to resist temptation because of the confidence they have gained over time. Although relapse into the old behaviour is possible, it is not looked at as a failure but an opportunity to get back up and learn from the mistake. Skills to change Skills or method or know-how is a valid and important part of changing behaviours. All behaviour changes require generic and specific skills. Some of the skills associated with behaviour change are: (1)Avoiding triggers: learning and practicing how to avoid what triggers your old behaviours. For example, identifying the triggers (people, places, and things) that could lead one back to the old behaviour of eating unhealthy food. (2) Diffusing cravings: learning and practicing how to diffuse any cravings or temptations that may arise when dealing with challenging situations. For example, learning and practicing on how to put out the craving for food that is not part of your nutrition plan. (3) Lapse prevention plan: learning and practicing how to not slip and fall when dealing with a craving. For example, when put into a situation where you are tempted to eat unhealthy food, practicing and using a strategy to confront the craving and walk away from it. (4) Relapse prevention plan: learning and practicing how to get back up when you fall. For example, you have been doing well with your nutrition plan. However, one day you choose to not follow the nutrition plan and return to eating unhealthy food. Instead of beating yourself up, this skill teaches you how to get back up. The skills outlined above could by no means form an exhaustive list. Each behavior that you wish to change calls upon you to seek out appropriate skills to help you get from point A to point B.

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QUOTES AND THOUGHTS

ST. TERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS (EDITH STEIN) (1891—1942)

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July 2022

Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love. And do not accept anything as love which lacks truth.

Let go of your plans. The first hour of your morning belongs to God. Tackle the day’s work that he charges you with, and he will give you the power to accomplish it.

As for what concerns our relations with our fellow humen beings, the anguish in our neighbor's soul must break all precept. All that we do is a means to an end, but love is an end in itself, because God is love.

Each woman who lives in the light of eternity can fulfill her vocation, no matter if it is in marriage, in a religious order, or in a worldly profession.

Our love of neighbour is the measure of our love of God. For Christians — and not only for them — no one is a ‘stranger’. The love of Christ knows no borders.

… just take everything, exactly as it is, put it in God’s hands and leave it with Him. Then you will be able to rest in Him – really rest – and start the next day, as a new life.

July 2022

``For by doing what God demands of us with total surrender of our innermost being, we cause the divine life to become our own inner life. Entering into ourselves, we find God in our own selves.”

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ASIAN SPIRITUAL INSIGHT / IN MEMORIAM Thich Nhat Hanh

A POT IN SEARCH OF A LID Very often we feel like a pot without a lid. We believe that our lid is somewhere in the world and That if we look very hard, we’ll find the right lid to cover our pot. The feeling of emptiness is always there inside us. When we contemplate the other person, sometimes we think we see what we feel we lack. We think we need someone else to lean on, to take refuge in, and to diminish our suffering. We want to be the object of another person’s attention and contemplation. We want someone who will look at us and embrace our feeling of emptiness and suffering with his energy of mindfulness. Soon we become addicted to that kind of energy; we think that without that attention, we can’t live. It helps us feel less empty and helps us forget the block of suffering inside. When we ourselves can’t generate the energy to take care of ourselves, we think we need the energy of someone else. We focus on our own need and lack rather than generating the energy of mindfulness, concentration, and insight that can heal our suffering and help the other person as well.

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WHAT OUR HEARTS TRULY NEED TO GET HEALED AND ENERGIZED:

4 Mindful Practices The Buddha said that nothing survives without food, including love. If you don’t know how to nourish and feed your love, it will die. If we know how to feed our love every day it will stay for a long time. One way we nourish our love is by being conscious of what we consume. Many of us think of our daily nourishment only in terms of what we eat. But in fact, there are four kinds of food that we consume every day. They are: edible food (what we put in our mouths to nourish our bodies), sensory food (what we smell, hear, taste, feel, and touch), volition (the motivation and intention that fuels us), and consciousness (this includes our individual consciousness, the collective consciousness, and our environment).

July 2022

3. NOURISHING YOUR DEEPEST DESIRE 1. NOURISHING OUR LOVE WITH EDIBLE FOOD The first source of nourishment is edible food. If we eat with moderation, eating only the food we need and eating the foods that help our bodies to be strong and healthy, then we’re showing love and respect for our bodies and for the Earth. If we don’t eat healthy foods and don’t treat our own bodies with respect, then how can we respect other people’s bodies and the body of the Earth itself?

2. SENSORY FOOD

The third nutriment is volition. This is your desire, your hope, your aspiration. It’s the energy that keeps you alive. You want to be someone. You want to do something with your life. If you’re motivated by compassion and love, your volition will give you the energy and direction to grow and become even more loving and compassionate. However, if your desire is to possess or to win at all costs, this kind of volition is toxic and will not help your love to grow. You can practice developing a strong and positive volition. You can even put your commitment in words, such as: “I vow to develop understanding and compassion in me, so I can become an instrument of peace and love, to help society and the world.” This kind of intention is based in our deepest aspiration.

The second source of nourishment is sensory impressions, what we consume with our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. When we read a magazine, we consume. When we watch a television program, we consume. Whatever we consume affects our body and mind. If we consume toxic magazine articles, movies, or video games, they will feed our craving, our anger, and our fear. If we set aside time each day to be in a peaceful environment, to walk in nature, or even just to look at a flower or the sky, then that beauty will penetrate us and feed our love and our joy. July 2022

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4. NOURISHING OUR INNER CONSCIOUSNESS The fourth source of nourishment: collective consciousness and individual consciousness. Our individual consciousness is influenced by the collective consciousness of our environment. We absorb and reflect what is around us. If we live in a place where people are angry and violent, then eventually we’ll become like them. If we live in a family or community where there’s a culture of being understanding and compassionate with each other, we’ll naturally be more peaceful and loving. Children growing up in such an environment will learn to be caring and kind.

LOVE MEDITATION / Thich Nhat Hanh This love meditation, called Metta Meditation, is adapted from the Visuddimagga (The Path of Purification) by Buddhaghosa, a fifth-century C.E. systematization of the Buddha’s teachings.  A MANTRA May I be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit. May I be safe and free from injury. May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety. May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love. May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself. May I learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving, and delusion in myself. May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy in myself every day. May I be able to live fresh, solid, and free. May I be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent.  To begin, sit still and calm your body and your breathing. Sitting still, you aren’t too preoccupied with other matters. 1) Begin practicing this `love meditation' by focusing intially on yourself (“May I be peaceful . . .”). Until you are able to love and take care of yourself, you can’t be of much help to others. 2) After that, practice on others (“May he/she/you/they be peaceful . . .”)—first on someone you like, then on someone neutral to you, then on someone you love, and finally on someone the mere thought of whom makes you suffer. After practicing `Metta Meditation,' you may find you can think of all of them with genuine compassion.

Thich Nhat nh (1926-2022): a world-renowned writer, poet, scholar and Zen Buddhist monk. Courtesy: Book- ‘HOW TO LOVE’, Published in Great Britain by Rider (Penguin - Random House UK) in 2014. Copyright © Unified Buddhist Church, Inc. 2014

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July 2022

JOE BUKURAS Washington, D.C. Newsroom

Pope Francis: The Trinity inspires us 'to live with others and for others'

peaking on Trinity Sunday, Pope Francis said that celebrating the Trinity is “not so much a theological exercise, but a revolution in our way of life.”

“God, in whom each person lives for the other in a continual relationship, in continual rapport, not for himself, provokes us to live with others and for others," he said. In his address prior to the recitation of the Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on Sunday's Gospel reading, from the 16th chapter of John. In the reading, Jesus is speaking to the apostles about the coming of the Holy Spirit. "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth," the Lord says. Jesus tells the apostles, "Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you." “We notice that the Holy Spirit speaks, but not of himself: He announces Jesus and reveals the Father,” Pope Francis said to thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square June 12. “And we also notice that the Father, who possesses everything because he is the origin of all things, gives to the Son everything he possesses: He keeps nothing for himself and he gives himself fully to the Son,” he said. Pope Francis added that “the Holy Spirit speaks not of himself; he speaks about Jesus, he speaks about others. And the Father does not give himself, he gives the Son. It is open generosity, one open to the other.” The Holy Father then invited the crowd to do a selfexamination.

about ourselves, and often, we only speak about ourselves and what we do,” he said. Giving examples, Pope Francis said that people often say “I have done this and that” and “I had this problem.” “We always speak like this,” he said. He added, “How different this is from the Holy Spirit, who speaks by announcing others, and the Father, the Son! And, how jealous we are of what we possess. How hard it is for us to share what we possess with others, even those who lack the basic necessities! It is easy to talk about it, but difficult to practice it.” He encouraged the crowd to question whether “our life reflects the God we believe in.” Leading the crowd in self-examination, the pope asked, “do I, who profess faith in God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, truly believe that I need others in order to live, I need to give myself to others, I need to serve others? Do I affirm this in words, or do I affirm it with my life?” The one, triune God must be manifested in deeds, not words, he said. “God, who is the author of life, is transmitted not so much through books as through witness of life,” Pope Francis said. “He, who, as the evangelist John writes, ‘is love’ (1 Jn 4:16), reveals himself through love.” Pope Francis encouraged the crowd to think about “good, generous, gentle” people they have met and reflect on their way of thinking and their actions.

“When we speak, we always want to say something good July 2022

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SOCIAL SERVICE Mr. Francis Xavier

EQUITABLE ACTIONS TO END POVERTY & INJUSTICE SURABI is INM province’s Development Office

(PDO). It looks after the development needs taken up by the Salesians welfare centres of the Chennai province. SURABI envisages building a peaceful society and offers comprehensive services for the poor and those of the periphery communities, especially the poor children and Building a just and peaceful civil society towards prosperity through supportive, and strategic approaches, V i s s i o n o f to development and comprehensive SURABI services for the poor and the abandoned sections of the population, with a special focus for the youth.

Mission of SURABI

To provide strategic direction to the urban and rural economic and social development in the Salesian Province of Chennai

22,736 Dry rations Distributed

1,00,000

Vaccination Awareness created through Pamphlets.

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55,000 Masks were provided

INR 810,000

27 Families who lost the breadwinner due to COVID-19

July 2022

the poor youth.The mission of SURABI focuses on the economic and social development of the Salesian Province of Chennai. Intervention During the Pandemic The developmental intervention of SURABI is aligned with the vision and mission’s statements of the INM province. SURABI facilitated intervention in 11 Districts of Tamil Nadu during the first and second waves of COVID-19. SURABI reached out to 22,736 families with Dry Rations, including all the essential food provisions in order to take care of their survival needs during the pandemic. Besides, medical and hygiene kits were distributed which benefited 7536 families throughout COVID-19. During the second wave, we distributed 25 special kits for women which contain Puloximeter, Vaporizer, Thermometer, Herbal Drinks, and Vitamin tablets. SURABI provided 12939 special children kits to the various communities in the province. Besides, we supplied 5490 cooked foods to migrants, daily laborers, and urban slum dwellers during the peaks of COVID-19. Similarly, 27 families without their Breadwinner due to COVID, supported with INR 8,10,000/ for their subsistence. Pandemic Induced Poverty - Post Pandemic Reality The post-pandemic challenges created significant changes in the life of people. The pandemic induced poverty pushed between 119 to 124 million people into extreme poverty around the globe in 2020 (Global Economic Prospects Report). Even if it was a reduced estimate, it points to an unprecedented increase in global poverty. As a result, the post pandemic situation made SURABI to intervene in a more focused way towards empowering the June2022 July 2022

vulnerable communities such as Thurumbar, Gypsies and Irular tribes in Northern Tamil Nadu. SURABI is also enabling women to become economically independent, selfreliant, gain positive esteem so that they could face any difficult situation and be able to participate in the development activities of their neighbourhood. Fr. Edwin Vasath Sdb., Economer - INM

Fr. Alphone Sdb., fomer Director

Vision-Based Intervention The pandemic intensified the gap further between the rich and the poor causing more school dropouts and unemployment in the communities wherein we are involved. At present, these communities require more empowerment models of intervention. SURABI foresees that building a peaceful society and providing comprehensive services for the poor and periphery communities is the most critical need of the day. We require numerous resources and transformative projects to overcome the social divide created by the current pandemic. Based on COVID trends, the inequality gap was not expected to be closed for another 100 years. There is clear evidence now emerging showing that the world is now going backward rather than foward along the long road towards an equitable society. As a result, SURABI is aspiring to take more and more initiatives to end the poverty and the injustice so wide spread in the society.

Fr. Leo Sdb., New Director

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CHRISTIAN POSITIVITY Fr. Michael Amaladoss, S.J

THE DANCING CHRIST C

an Christians be happy? Why not? After all we have not only heard the ``God News”; we are also bearers of it. We know that God is with us: Emmanuel! We proclaim that Christ is alive. He has conquered death. We experience the Spirit animating our lives. We have a sense of meaning and hope even in the midst of the turmoils of life. Did not St. Paul exhort us; ``Rejoice in the Lord always, I shall say it again: rejoice!” (Phil 4:4). And yet joy does not seem to be one of the more obvious characteristics of Christian assemblies. Our ``God News” seems to have lost its punch! The best known Christian symbol is the cross; and the cross evokes the death of Christ. It is a powerful symbol: God becoming human and suffering and dying on the cross. Preachers do not fail to proclaim the scandal of the

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Artist Jyoti Sahi, Lord of Dance , 1980. Oil on canvas. July 2022

cross as something specific to the Christian message. The self identification of God with suffering humanity is a tremendous symbol. The history of Indian Christian Art starts with the Hindu artists and their favourite image is the suffering Christ. The cross indeed speaks to the heart of suffering humanity. And yet, the cross is not God’s – Christ’s – last word to suffering humanity. Christ is risen. He has won the victory over suffering and death. He is the symbol of new life. He is the source of our hope and our joy. Even the cross is not fully meaningful without the risen Christ: it is incomplete – and action arrested in mid-air, as it were. But is the risen Christ equally present in our lives and our memories? We remember him of course at Easter. But after that we seem to quietly forget him. It is true that at every Eucharist we proclaim dutifully: ``Christ has died, Christ risen, Christ will come again”. And yet the images of the Last Supper and of Clavary probably monopolize our minds. The Eucharist is a sacrifice! We are so sensitive to our sufferings that we easily assign the resurrection to the time after death. I sometimes think that this is because we lack a symbol of the risen Christ – a symbol of joy and life – that will hold our attention. The image of the risen Jesus does not have for us the same historical consistency as that of the crucified one. We can picture to ourselves a man dying on the cross and make representations of him in colour, wood or stone. But we do not know how to imagine the risen Christ. I think that at least for us in India it should be an easy task. I prefer to imagine the risen Christ as the dancing Christ: dancing in freedom. When Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room, one can imagine the disciples, after a moment of shock

and surprise, breaking out into a dance, perhaps led by the impetuous Peter and Jesus joining them. I think that such an image of the dancing Christ can be even more inspiring than the image of the risen Christ floating in the air superimposed on the cross that one sometimes sees these days. Just as the crucified Christ, the dancing Christ will remind us not of the future, but of the present. Life is full of suffering, it is true. But it is also full of joy, if only we know how to look and recognize the gifts of God, the goodness and love of others, the service and the sacrifice that make life worth living, the hard work and courage of people, the quiet confidence and peace that endures even while one is suffering, the hope that enlivens even the darkest moments of life, the tenderness of a mother, the smile of a child. The joys of life are not merely the silver lining of a dark cloud; it is the light that sometimes illumines the whole cloud and breaks through it. Nature and human creativity abound with the abundance and creativity of God. Somehow these joys of life do not strike us as sharply as its pains. Maybe the symbol of the dancing Christ will inspire us with the new eyes that will see not only the death, but also the new life that human history is full of. Then we too may be inspired to dance for joy and we can be sure that Christ too will dance with us. Our favourite symbols reveal who we are and what are our basic attitudes to life. Asked to choose a favourite symbol I would go for the dancing Christ, Is that not the most profound symbol of the ``Good News?

July 2022

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LEARNING FROM ST. FRANCIS DE SALES – 5 Fr. Joe Andrew SDB

ast month we reflected on how for St. Francis de Sales, spirituality is not about the number of prayers we recite but the relationship that is created and the intensity of love put into prayer. We cannot forget his words: ‘DO ALL THROUGH LOVE, NOTHING THROUGH CONSTRAINT’. For Jesus himself prayer was ‘Abiding in the Father’ or ‘Union with the Father.’ In John 15: 1-10, we read “Remain in me, as I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, unless it remains part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing.” Prayer is about connecting with God, abiding in Him and bearing fruit. Prayer is dwelling in God’s presence, savouring His sweetness, resting in His love. It is basically a love relationship. All the saints from the early centuries looked upon the Eucharist as the summit of this divine communion and in particular St. Francis de Sales and in his footsteps our father Don Bosco. It is difficult to believe or understand the Eucharist but a study of the Sacred Scriptures (like the studies being done by Scott Hahn) or a reading of the Fathers of the Church and the stories of the personal experiences and Eucharistic encounters of saints and heroic Catholics makes us understand the beauty, power and love in and for the Eucharist.

THE EUCHARIST AS THE HEART OF DEVOTION AND SUMMIT OF DIVINE COMMUNION 28

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Fr Pedro Arrupe S.J., who was the Superior General of the Society of Jesus for fifteen years, narrates how he had personally met Jesus and decided to follow him. Pedro was a brilliant student of medicine, winning first prizes in his studies at the University of Madrid. In October 1926, nineteen-year-old Pedro went to Lourdes as a volunteer. One day he accompanied the procession in front of the Grotto, walking beside a mother who was pushing a wheel-chair in which sat her 26-year-old son, a polio victim, his body crippled and completely deformed. When the time came for the Eucharistic blessing, the Bishop came with the Blessed Sacrament, and made the sign of the Cross with it over the boy. At that instant, the boy leapt from his chair completely cured. Pedro said: “I returned to Madrid; the books kept falling from my hands. My fellow students asked me: ‘What’s July 2022

happening to you? You seem dazed!’ Yes, I was dazed by the memory which upset me more each day; only the image of the Sacred Host raised in blessing and the paralyzed boy jumping up from his chair remained fixed in my heart” Three months later Pedro gave up his medicine studies and entered the Novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Loyola, to a life of ‘distinguished service as a Jesuit’. The rest is history.(Hedwig Lewis S.J., - At Home with God) Walter Ciszek was the son of Polish immigrants, born in a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania in 1904. He had a rough child hood – and was even a member in a gang. Young Walter ended up joining the Jesuits, and went to the Soviet Union to serve as a missionary. In 1941, he was arrested and charged, falsely, with working as a spy for the Vatican. He spent the next 23 years in prison – sometimes in solitary confinement, sometimes in a gulag, at times doing hard labour. Despite that, he found ways to celebrate mass – often at tremendous risk. Years later, Fr. Ciszek wrote about it. He described in painstaking detail how the prisoners would observe the Eucharistic fast, often going without breakfast, working all morning on an empty stomach, so they could receive communion. A priest would gather them in an assigned spot – everybody, even the priest, wearing rumpled work clothes. And there he would take a small piece of bread and a few drops of wine and transform them into the body and blood of Christ. As he wrote: “In these primitive conditions, the Mass brought you closer to God than anyone might conceivably imagine. The realization of what was happening on the

ordinary board, box, or stone used in the place of an altar penetrated deep into the soul.” And he explained: “Many a time, as I folded up the handkerchief on which the body of our Lord had lain, and dried the glass or tin cup used as a chalice, the feeling of having performed something tremendously valuable for the people of this Godless country was overpowering. I was occasionally overcome with emotion for a moment as I thought of how God had found a way to follow and to feed these lost and straying sheep in this most desolate land…I would go to any length, suffer any inconvenience, run any risk to make the bread of life available to these men.” “Do this in remembrance of me.” These personal and intimate experiences of saints (like St. Anthony, Blessed Imelda, Blessed Alexandrina Da Costa, St. Claire etc.), missionaries, martyrs and even lay Catholics of today make us gaze at the Eucharist with a sense of awe and admiration. Today there is a whole movement in the Catholic church asking people to go beyond the homily, the music, the glitter and sensationalism of liturgical celebrations and search for the more intimate dimension of the Holy Eucharist, namely, divine communion with Jesus. For St. Francis de Sales, the Eucharist was the highest form of encounter with God. It is deeply related to his definition of prayer as intimate communion with the beloved. He himself shares very personal and deep experiences with the Eucharist. According to one of his biographers (Harold Burton, quoted by Thomas F.Dailey O.S.F.S) and Franics' own spiritual conferences, we are made to understand that Francis was greatly affected by a meditation on the liturgical mystery of Corpus Christi and his whole being was suddenly invaded by such power of spiritual sweetness that his bodily strength gave way beneath it and he fell prostrate to the ground and was forced to cry out, “Hold back, O Lord, the torrents of Thy grace; depart from me, for I am unable to bear the strength of Thy sweetness and am willing to cast myself to the ground.” He found his soul filled with consolation and celebrated Mass with intense devotion. Later that day he preached on the Blessed Sacrament with such divine

July 2022

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charity that his whole face seemed to be transformed to the people listening to him. 15 Years after this, in 1599, the saint himself notes the supernatural favour that he received during a Pontifical Mass in Rome. In his own words: “Having received the holy Eucharist from the hand of the Pope on the day of the Annunciation, my soul was interiorly consoled. God provided me the grace of giving me great lights on the mystery of the Incarnation, making me understand in an inexplicable way how the Word took flesh, by the power of the Father and the operation of the Holy Spirit, in the chaste womb of Mary, thereby wishing himself to dwell among us, since he would be human like us.” (Spiritual Conferences). Later, in letters written to Jane de Chantal, he admits of experiencing a special consolation on feast days knowing that they were both receiving communion together. All these mystical experiences were also evident in the celebrations of the sacrament at which he presided. As

Jane de Chantal would testify, it was easy to see how deep was his reverence for the presence of God. His eyes were modestly cast down; his face full of recollection, and so calm and sweet that those who looked at him attentively were touched and thrilled with devotion. Especially at the moment of Consecration and Communion the peaceful radiance of his countenance filled every heart with emotion. Indeed, this `Divine Sacrament' was his true life and strength and in this action he appeared like a man wholly absorbed in God. Thus, from his student days in Paris through his years of pastoral ministry, Francis regarded the Eucharist as the great means of attaining perfection. No doubt, this is why he encouraged more frequent reception though it was not the practice at the time. (cf. Thomas

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F.Dailey O.S.F.S: Eucharist & the Theopoetics of Encounter according to St. Francis de Sales). St. Francis de Sales considered Mass to be the most important of all sacred moments and Holy Communion to be the greatest means of growing in the devout life. In the ‘Introduction to Devout Life’ in the second of the list of counsels, St. Francis discusses prayer and the sacraments.“The Mass is the sun of all spiritual exercises – the most holy, sacred, and supremely sovereign sacrament and sacrifice of the Mass, centre of the Christian religion, heart of devotion, and soul of piety, the ineffable mystery that comprises within itself the deepest depths of divine charity, the mystery in which God really gives himself and gloriously communicates his graces and favours to us” (Introduction to Devout Life, 92). In many ways St. Francis is a forerunner of the Second Vatican council. The Holy Eucharist, Vatican II tells us, is "the source and summit of the Christian life" (Lumen Gentium, no. 11; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1324). To say the Eucharist is the "source and summit of Christian spirituality" means at least two things. First, that Christian spirituality flows from the Eucharist as its source, the way light streams forth from the sun. And second, that Christian spirituality is supremely realized in and ordered to the Eucharist as its summit or highpoint – that to which all of our actions should ultimately be directed. According to St. Francis, Jesus gave us this precious gift of the Eucharist, so that through this intimate and real encounter we can in turn become like Jesus. He calls us to love one another as He loves us. We should then practice in a greater way the complementary virtue of gentleness. This, for Francis, is the true effect of the Eucharist, which he explains to the Visitation Sisters. “If by means of Holy Communion you become very gentle (since it is the virtue proper to this Sacrament, which is all gentleness, all honey, and all sweetness), you will draw the fruit which is particular to it, and thus you will make progress. In this way, the Eucharist becomes expansive, as it leads us to virtuous relations with others in the assembly of love that is the Church, and to a just engagement with the lives of all whom we encounter in the world. St. Francis has indeed offered us a very holistic understanding of the Holy Eucharist. May he continue to enlighten us. (to be continued) July 2022

MEDIA CLINIC Fr. Rajkumar Fernando SDB

extortion is a malicious online crime whereby the cyber criminals threaten to distribute or ‘make viral’, private, sensitive and sexually explicit material pertaining to the victim. They demand money, sexual favors, and other benefits in return. They target affluent middle aged men, lonely ladies and vulnerable children and teens with no adult supervision and young people who spend a lot of time on the social media and internet. They spend weeks or even months of digital reconnaissance mission to identify targets and gather relevant information. They meticulously ceonstruct fake profiles of extremely attractive women make them look realistic, with apt chronology of profile, regular updating, and regular uploading of attractive and realistic pictures. Friend requests are sent from these fake but realistic profiles to identified targets. The requests are from overtly friendly and seemingly attractive females in platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, dating or even matrimonial sites. At this stage the technological aspects are kept in backburner and a psychological technique called ‘social engineering’ is employed to gain the trust of the gullible victim. Social engineering refers to psychological tricks used by culprits to manipulate victims through deception and fraud. The scammers then entice and induce them, especially the teens and young adults to indulge in video calls of sexual orientation, usually the female accomplices of the gang are indoctrinated to indulge in lewd video calls and record them using inbuilt or downloaded screen recording apps. These recorded salacious clips then become instruments of extortion causing untold trauma to the victim. With over 70 crore smartphones (each acting like a powerful computer in its own right), in India, the pastures for spreading the tentacles of sextortion are widespread. This coupled with extreme hypocrisy and stigma attached to sexual desires in Indian society, facilitate a congenial breeding ground to entrap the unsuspecting victims. Sextortion is a traumatizing, terrifying and dehumanizing violation that feeds off victims’ shame and societal stigma. More often than not, the ordeal ends up with victim killing himself/herself. Evolution of sextortion From 2006 to 2022 extortion has incarnated into following four avatars. July 2022

SEXTORTION Internet Safe Education

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First Gen Sextortion: Primarily women were victims perpetrated by estranged lovers who threatened to release their intimate pictures as ‘revenge porn’. Primitive recording devices were used. Second Gen Sextortion: Fake profiles of attractive girls were created by male scammers and a make-believe world was created with use of technological tools like voice modulation apps, which converted male voice into female voice over VOIP calls. Money mule bank accounts(bank accounts opened with forged documentation), were used to demand ransom, sexting over WhatsApp followed by strip video calls were used to honey trap victims. Screen recording, video editing, morphing apps, also emerged in this phase. Third Gen Sextortion: During this phase, the male extortionists started employing and training beautiful girls to entrap victims. This was a path breaking development and catapulted sextortion to an organized crime syndicate status. Money mule bank accounts were supplanted by crypto currency wallets, which provided higher degree of impunity and anonymity. Fourth Gen Sextortion: Innovative, latest and pioneering phase, where there is no need to lure a victim or employ females to honey trap. ‘Deep-fake’ and ‘Deep-nude’ technologies have ensured that anyone can be made a victim of sextortion, without he/she indulging in any sort of online sexual talk or misdemeanor. Deep-fake and deep-nude The phrase deep-fake originates from a combination of ‘deep learning’ and ‘fake’. Deep learning is an artificial intelligence-based technology that juxtaposes seamlessly, the face of a victim on the face of a porn actor in a given video, exactly mimicking the emotions, expressions and body language. This is done in such a sophisticated manner that the fake video seems absolutely authentic and genuine. The deep-nude app goes a step further and creates a seemingly authentic nude picture or video of a female victim in a matter of seconds. There is absolutely no need

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to source porn video of a girl matching the profile and body type of the victim, Photoshop the video clip and even then the results were not impeccable. Deep fake and deep nude apps give diabolical, instant and flawless results. All major celebrities have already been victims of the Deep-nude videos like Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson, Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif and the list is endless. What are the warning signs? Does their profile look fake? Does something not seem right about who they say they are? Are they asking a lot of personal questions about identity, location, school, or information about family? Their language changes and they try to convince you to move you away from the platform you met to one that is more private. They start to use more sexual language or are now more forceful. They want to video call and make requests that are uncomfortable and different to previous communications. They say they don’t have a working camera to avoid making face to face contact and will often send an image. Types of Sexual Extortion The methods in which a predator can obtain sexually explicit content to use to sexually extort a victim can be requested or illegally obtained in the following ways: The predator will encourage the victim to send nude photos or to join a sexually explicit video call and record or take screenshots of the victim. The predator obtains your photo and alters it to make it appear sexual in nature. This is called a Deepfake. They claim to have a sexually explicit image or video of the victim but do not. They can hack the victim’s photo or video files to obtain things illegally. It could be an ex-partner using photos or videos taken consensually during the course of a relationship. An image or video recording can be taken of you in secret either in your home, in a public toilet or a change room. Way out: While extortionists may employ all available tools to harass, embarrass, traumatize and control victims, it is high time that the demon is confronted head-on and annihilated by increasing awareness and societal de-stigmatization of the evil of sextortion. It is pertinent to note that internet never ‘forgets and forgives’ and its reach and spread is lightning fast and enormous. Our young generation with impressionable minds should be groomed to ensure that they should never indulge in lewd video calls and if a stranger displays rush to develop intimacy, alarm bells should ring. The racketeers need to be reported and fearlessly brought to justice. July 2022

ONLINE SAFETY TIPS:  Ask your kids to take steps to browse safely and maintain anonymity.  Set privacy parameters for all applications.  Check to see how much of their personal information is available online.  Be mindful of what they share online.  Assist them to use safety tools while gaming.  Instruct them never to share passwords.  Educate them never to leave their webcam plugged in.  Never meet online acquaintances alone.  Block people they don’t want to interact with  Only click on shot links if they are verified.  Secure their devices with anti-virus and anti-malware softwares.  Never access public wifi unless and until you are sure that it’s a secured network.  Enter your biographical information with care.  Turn off your location.  Be careful about posting photos online.  Completely avoid using public or shared devices to access your social media.  Never to click on social media links, even if they were sent by your friends.  Avoid unidentified contacts and never get connected to strangers.  Educate them to block cookies and configure privacy settings for your social media platforms to control information sharing.  To Use a complex password and keep changing them time and again.  Don’t leak your location while viewing or uploading images.  End-to-end encryption messengers should be used.  Never share sensitive information on social media platforms. (Financial, Login Credentials, and Personal Information) as their identity could be compromised.

Social media creates an opportunity for young women and men living in socially conservative non-western societies to be able to communicate, meet, and engage in forbidden intimacies and forbidden behavior. Men are being contacted on Instagram and WhatsApp by women having attractive profile pictures. They seduce our children and teens via chat and persuade them to do a nude video call. When they agrees to it, they record the entire episode and start blackmailing the young victim for money and sexual favours, threatening to share the video clips with their relatives and friends on social media. With the fear of intimate moments being exposed, they just transfer money by using the parent’s bank cards, steal money and jewelry from home and family members of July 2022

borrow from their friends. Sextortion scams are dangerous and may lead to suicidal ideations because of the fear of social defamation. Sextortion happens through: (1) Social media (social networking, online video games, and video chat platforms). (2) Dating Apps (including OkCupid, Tinder, TanTan, and Locanto). (3) Bitcoin and email phishing (sending out random emails claiming to have your sex recordings). What to do when your children are victimized? Do not panic. The first step is to recognize that your child is a victim and that they require support to get out of this scam. Past experience shows that even if the victims have paid, there is no guarantee that scammers will not still post the recording, and it is likely that they will come back with further demands. By replying to these extortion threats, you indicate to the criminals that you are someone who may be persuaded to pay ransom. With your child’s cooperation, document all communication with the extortionist. Protect all social media profile of your child, make them private, and enable two-factor authentication for all social profiles. Report inappropriate content to the relevant social media platform immediately. You can contact cybercrime department of your State Police to report what has happened to your child. Educate your child never to indulge in online chatting, dating, or getting emotionally involved with people without verifying who they are and the truthfulness of their claims. Teach them never to share their intimate pictures and videos on any online platform. The Salesian Bulletin

INTERVIEW Fr. Nallayan Pancras SDB

''For Me Missionary Spirit is a Permanent State of Restlessness'' - Fr. Alfred Maravilla FR ALFRED MARAVILLA SDB has returned to the Salesian Missions Department, not as a collaborator this time, but as Councilor. Yes, he was elected by the GC28 as the new General Councilor for the Missions. A Filippino, with a long, first hand missionary experience, until recently the Superior of a thriving Vice Province. What motivated you to become a Salesian? My parents wanted me to go to the Salesian school in Victorias, Philippines against my will. But I can say that knowing the Salesians was a surprising thing for me. The Salesians seduced me! These priests and young Salesians playing with us made me realise that there was something different here. Little by little they involved me in the youth centre. And the rest is now history. When I came to know the Salesians, the Congregation was in full missionary fervour, not only because of the ‘Africa Project’, but also because Fr. Egidio Viganò, at the time Rector Major, had asked every province to “adopt” a missionary territory. Many from my Province had left as missionaries to Thailand and then to Ethiopia. My heart was restless because I, too, felt deep within my heart the call to leave familiar shores, and set my heart upon the deep. Thus, I presented my missionary application, hoping that I would be sent to Latin America. Meanwhile Father

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Viganò had given our Philippine Province the responsibility to begin the Salesian presence in Papua New Guinea. Hence, I was sent there. My initial joy turned into disbelief and fear. I wondered if I would survive in such a difficult country, with endemic malaria, with people and cultures totally different from my own and difficult climatic conditions. I was twenty-three years old! My fears and anxieties were soon transformed into deep love for “my people”, for their cultures and languages. Together with 5 other Salesians we started a new presence in the capital, Port Moresby. It was hard to be a pioneer. We had to improvise everything. But they were years full of joy, initiatives, and creativity. Today it is a small Vice-Province with 50 confreres from 16 nationalities, 12 of whom are local. I was the Provincial until my election during GC 28. What do you bring from the experience of GC28? For me GC28 was an experience that the Holy Spirit truly works as he wills, when he wills and where he wills. My election, which I had tried to avoid with all my heart, was for me an experience of the work of the Spirit. Then, the fact that the Coronavirus did not allow us to conclude the work of the Chapter, we have to try to understand the work of the Spirit here as well… In these first months, marked by the restrictions became of Covid-19, what have you seen, known, learnt July 2022

regarding the new responsibility? What do you expect for the future? The limited possibility to travel allowed me to visit our Mission Offices in Europe; we initiated on-line meetings with the Province Delegates for Missionary Animation (PDMA) in some regions; with the Missions Sector team we are working on the six-year program. At this moment we are trying to reinvent how to animate the Congregation. We are facing an unprecedented situation. We are still discovering what the post-COVID ‘new normal’ will consist of ...! What do you dream of for your Sector for the next six years?

The fact that during GC28 the Chapter members elected the General Councillor for the Missions literally ‘from the end of the world’, certainly shows that the Spirit wants to tell us something. For me it brings us back to Don Bosco’s missionary dream where he saw the youth of Oceania shouting: “Come help us”! It is the same cry today of many young people from the islands of Oceania and from all over the world. Oceania has received so many missionaries. I believe that the time has come for the local Salesians of Oceania to be missionaries in other regions of the Congregation too! But it is also an invitation to all the Salesians throughout the world to offer themselves generously as missionaries ad gentes, ad exteros, ad vitam for the whole world. Therefore, my dream is twofold: that the whole Congregation grows in missionary ardour and commitment; and that soon local Salesians from Oceania offer themselves to be missionaries. Who knows if at GC29 we would be able to speak about a possible ‘Project Oceania’? I am sure only of one thing: “The Holy Spirit works as he wills, when he wills and where he wills... We know only that our commitment is necessary”! (Evangelii Gaudium, n. 279).

My wish to the 1500 Salesians of our EAO region is that each one of us may have the courage to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts as he wills, when he wills and where he wills, so that, animated by Don Bosco’s missionary spirit, we may have the courage to get out of our comfort zones and go forth.

The General Counci part of the llors are the closest collaborators of the Rector Major. We work together to realise the objectives that will be part of the six-year programme of the Rector Major and his Council. Moreover, the dream of every Councillor for the Missions is codified in the Salesian Constitutions: that is, to promote the missionary spirit and commitment in the Congregation (Const. 138). For me it is necessary to translate this ‘missionary spirit and commitment’ into ‘a permanent state of restlessness’ for the whole Congregation. This means always willing to dare the improbable, so that we learn to trust in the Lord who invites us to constantly set our hearts upon the deep!

How do you look at the new task as Councilor for the Missions? I still do not comprehend God’s designs for my own life. But my internal struggle has also made me realise again that, indeed, He is the `Harvest Master,' while I am nothing but just a humble worker in the vineyard of the Lord. So it is He who will decide to which field he will send me to take care. Now, he has sent to work in another field of his vineyard! This six-year period (2020-2026) will be marked by the 150th anniversary of the first Salesian missionary expedition (1875). My wish to the 1500 Salesians of our EAO region is that each one may have the courage to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts as he wills, when he wills and where he wills, so that, animated by Don Bosco’s missionary spirit, we may have the courage to get out of our comfort zones and go forth. Thanks to this missionary spirit, Don Bosco’s charism is now deeply rooted in EAO. It’s about time that every Province in EAO, rich and poor in personnel, actively participate in our Congregation’s missionary activity. Ironically, only such missionary generosity will keep our Provinces vibrantly alive to serve the poor and marginalised youth in our own countries.

July 2022

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12.07.2022

Quote: I don’t think we can talk about real democracy unless we include the idea of consensus. To accept a decision simply because the majority decides it doesn’t seem to me very natural. Consensus requires a very special technique, and we are still `democratically illiterate’. Because of our lack of vision and patience we just take the shortest path. We have to learn to put consensus into practice, first in small communities and then widening the sphere of action. In some communities it exists already.

- Raimon Panikkar

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July 2022